Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and Aerostar have announced an expansion of their Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to include additional capabilities from Persistent Systems, LLC .
This expansion culminated in the launch of a second joint Internal Research and Development (IRAD) stratospheric test flight that will enable continued testing of hardened communications systems. These can be used to support ISR sensor collection and network extension missions from the stratosphere, which both companies are working to operationalize.
Aerostar offers a series of stratospheric High Altitude Balloon Systems and Airbus is leading the field of stratospheric fixed wing systems with its Zephyr HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellite / High Altitude Platform Station).
Launched om February 6, 2025, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, IRAD Flight HBAL717 is currently operating over the Pacific Ocean. This flight includes an Aerostar Thunderhead Stratospheric Balloon system, SATCOM terminals hardened by Airbus U.S. engineers, and Persistent’s networking system and over-the-horizon Cloud Relay™ technology.
Prior to the flight, a cross functional team of engineers from all three companies worked together to rapidly prototype variants of their hardware for future stratospheric balloon or fixed-wing flights.
Airbus, with the Zephyr platform designed and manufactured by its subsidiary AALTO, is a leader in stratospheric fixed wing aircraft; Aerostar has long tenure of balloon stratospheric operations for U.S. government customers; and Persistent is a leading vendor of scalable MANET devices and networking solutions for interoperability.
“Each of our companies brings something special to the table and we’re united in the quest to operationalize the stratosphere in a complimentary fashion,” said Fabian Kluessendorf, Airbus U.S. UAS Engineering Director. “Ultimately, the goal of this flight is to test the integration, encryption, backhaul, and routing of ISR traffic to government cloud systems from anywhere on the globe. On top of this it will pave the way for trusted payload-automation using onboard AI/ML capabilities. Our technology will be tested and qualified for operations through a long-duration stratospheric flight.”
“Stratospheric platforms are the most cost-effective, long-duration, persistent flight vehicles in service today. Aerostar continues to invest R&D dollars into integrating warfighter-relevant end-to-end solutions for resilient communications and ISR collection in critical, contested theaters,” said Russ Van Der Werff, Aerostar’s VP of Stratospheric Solutions.
“Persistent Systems is proud to partner with Airbus and Aerostar to integrate, test, and deploy advanced network solutions in support of the Warfighter. By leveraging both our Cloud Relay technology and Wave Relay® mobile ad hoc network (MANET), our government end-users will gain enhanced ISR and network-extension capabilities,” said Tom Jennings, Director of Business Development at Persistent Systems. “The swift and effective collaboration between Airbus, Aerostar, and Persistent Systems underscores the commitment and agility of all stakeholders, and we are look forward to continued partnership and innovation.”
About Airbus U.S. Space & Defense
A long time U.S. government partner, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense leverages world- class satellite, laser communication, rotary and fixed wing solutions to help its National Security focused customers meet their missions. As a leader in the field of fixed-wing HAPS, Zephyr has achieved 64 days of endurance above 60,000 feet.
About Aerostar
With more than 65 years of lighter-than-air innovation and expertise and two million flight hours in the stratosphere, Aerostar is dedicated to connecting, protecting, and saving lives. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Aerostar provides world- leading solutions in the aerospace and defense market, focused on stratospheric balloon systems and radar solutions. Learn more at
About Persistent Systems, LLC
Persistent Systems, LLC is a leading global provider of mobile networking solutions for military, first responder, government, and commercial markets. We engineer our Wave Relay® MANET and Cloud Relay™ technology to transmit voice, video, and situational awareness under the most difficult conditions. Through the Wave Relay® Ecosystem, an alliance of industry-leading companies, Persistent unites warfighters, UGVs, UAVs, sensors, cameras, and devices on a common network. Persistent was founded in 2007 and has offices in New York City, Colorado, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Wyoming.